Food Instrument--Checks printed with an old or poorly adjusted ribbon can not be read correctly. Please adjust or change the ribbon in your check printer. The State WIC Office has observed an increasing deterioration in the quality of the photographic images of WIC Checks processed for payment. The source of the deterioration is checks being printed using worn out printer ribbons. If the information being printed on the check by your agency printer is not as dark as the preprinted information, it is too light. Light Printing may be readable to the eye, but cameras used by the banking system do not capture the information you have printed. Please adjust or change the ribbon. Checks submitted electronically that cannot be read may be returned to the WIC retail vendor unpaid. This now becomes a major vendor relations issue. Again, please adjust or change the ribbon in your check printer.

Revised Income Guidelines for April 1, 2006 - March 31, 2007 are attached. Please use the attached Income Guidelines and not the DRAFT that the LWPs received on March 13. The attached is calculated for family sizes of 1 - 8. The State WIC office has not received approval for the family size of 9 - 16 at this time. If you have families of 9 - 16 members, use the plus numbers that are stated at the bottom of each column, annual, monthly or weekly. If you have any questions, please contact Glenn Studebaker, glenn.studebaker@health.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8209.

Effective April 17, 2006, SM ______ food packages for children and women will no longer be available in the HANDS system and food item code [110] for Specialty Milk will also no longer be available. Food item codes and food packages for all WIC approved Specialty Milks will be available in HANDS system on April 17, 2006. Please share the attached updated food package and item code listings with your staff. If you have any questions, please contact Takako Tagami at 1-800-392-8209 or e-mail Takako.Tagami@health.mo.gov.

In partnership with the National WIC Association's new business council member, the American Baby Group, NWA is proud to present to you, "Healthy Eating," a new bi-lingual magazine for WIC participants. This publication is under-written by Kraft and is free-of-charge. A brief description of the magazine can be found in the attached order form. In the interest of time, NWA will be faxing the order form directly to the local agencies. In the event that your local agency did not receive the form, it is attached below. If you have questions, contact Phyllis Fuller at phyllis.fuller@health.mo.gov or 1-800-394-8209.

USDA has approved the Revision 7 Nutrition Risk Factor Policies. USDA acknowledged confusion created by wording of information in their policy memo and provided clearer direction, which resulted in a change to how premature infants are to be plotted on growth charts. Specifically, for an infant born prematurely (less than or equal to 37 weeks gestation) who has NOT reached 40 weeks gestation, the 2000 CDC Birth to 36 Months Growth Charts are NOT to be used. If the LWP elects to plot on a growth chart before 40 weeks gestation has been reached, it must be plotted on the appropriate Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP) growth chart, the State WIC office does not provide the IHDP growth chart. Once the infant has reached 40 weeks gestation, the measurements must be plotted on the appropriate 2000 CDC Birth to 36 Months Growth Charts, adjusting for gestational age, and assigning all applicable risk factors related to growth. Adjusting for Gestational Age was implemented October 1, 2005 and is to be calculated for all infants and children up to 2 years of age who were born premature. The Revision 7 Nutrition Risk Factors will be e-mailed to the LWPs on Tuesday, March 28. Please contact Vicki Strickland at Vicki.Strickland@health.mo.gov or 800-392-8209 with questions.

6. The University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, WICNS, Nutrition Training Institute is sponsoring this educational opportunity:

When Nutritional and Activity Changes Are Not Enough: Weight Loss Surgery in Teens, Wednesday, June 7th from 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

This satellite training will be held at health offices throughout the state. Registered dietitians, nutritionists, WIC agencies, and other health care professionals will strengthen their knowledge of bariatric or weight loss surgery in children. This teleconference will address interventions to possibly prevent the need for surgery, review the criteria for surgery, and examine the nutritional and psychological concerns before and after surgery. This is an annual pediatric update conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham. They will arrange for all continuing education for Dietitians and Nurses.

Please see the attached site registration form for details or contact Michele Bailey at (573) 751-6481 or Michele.Bailey@health.mo.gov with questions.

The regular HANDS Training and HANDS Refresher Training are being canceled for October 2006 due to conflicts during the month.

If you have any questions about either of these trainings, please contact Melissa Seaver at melissa.seaver@health.mo.gov or by calling 1-800-392-8209.

Beginning April 1, 2006 for all food instruments printed, there will be 30 days between the first date to use (FDTU) and last date to use (LDTU). Please note that this will affect any check printed in April that is being used to replace a March or April check that was originally printed in March. Currently, there are 36 days between the (FDTU) and (LDTU).

All bi-monthly food instruments printed in March 2006 for April 2006 will have 36 days between the FDTU and LDTU.

Please assure all WIC staff are aware of this important change so your WIC participants can be educated appropriately.